


Not So Secret

by Mykael



Series: Twinsverse [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Children, Domestic Fluff, Dysfunctional Family, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, Fluff and Angst, Kidnapping, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-10-20 01:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17613125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykael/pseuds/Mykael
Summary: Some secrets are worth keeping, and some not so much. But secrets can also be difficult to keep when others know them. Talia has one she's successfully kept hidden from her father for almost eight years. What happens when a disgraced assassin knows that secret, and plans to use it to his own benefit...?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Back to work on my (now appropriately re-named) Twinsverse. Much to do, much to do, but let's start with this. >:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dick - 33  
> Jason - 30  
> Kaden & Keiran - 7

Dick and Jason lay in bed in each other’s arms, sound asleep, with the first rays of dawn lightly filtering through the curtains. Jason was already partially awake, but he was so comfortable, that he didn’t really want to get up.

Jason’s eyes fluttered open, heaving a contented sigh as he stared into Dick’s sleeping face;  _ so peaceful. So beautiful.  _ He smiled slightly and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to his husband’s lips, but the peace was shattered by the sound of mischievous twins. Jason groaned and rolled over in bed to look at the digital alarm clock; it was only 7AM, but he knew it was time to get up. The twins had school in an hour and a half.

He looked over at Dick who was still sound asleep, and decided to let him stay that way. He could handle the twins by himself for a little bit, right? So Jason carefully pulled himself out of bed and grabbed a pair of pajama pants and pulled them on. He was sure there was a mess out in the kitchen; time to put on a brave face and handle it.

Sure enough, as Jason padded out of the bedroom, through the living room, and into the kitchen, he heard the twins in the kitchen. Jason raked a hand through his hair and mentally prepared himself to face the carnage.

“What the--Keiran no!” Jason shouted, taking only a moment to see the mess before rushing up toward the stove and snatching the frying pan out of Keiran’s hands. He turned the stove off and set the pan aside, then turned to Keiran.

“I wanted to cook breakfast,” the seven year old said softly, looking up at his father. Jason arched an eyebrow and looked around the kitchen; there were three or for smashed eggs on the floor, and Kaden was sitting up at the table eating a bowl of cereal, with splashes of milk on the table where he’d obviously spilled some trying to get it in the bowl.

“Mmornin’ dahd!” Kaden called with his mouth full. Jason sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. _ Thank god it’s a school day. _

“Kaden, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Jason said, waving a finger at the boy. He then looked down to Keiran and gestured toward the mess on the floor. “Keiran, clean that up, and I’ll cook you breakfast. You’re too young to cook quite yet.”

“But daddy--” Keiran started to argue, but Jason silenced him.

“Uh uh, I’ll teach you to cook when you’re older. Now clean the mess up.” Keiran gave a dramatic sigh and threw his hands up, stomping over to the counter and grabbing the paper towels.

“Fiiiine!” Keiran pouted, kneeling down to clean up the eggs. Kaden laughed which prompted Keiran to glare at him.

“Ha ha, I told you so!”

“Shut up!”

“Hey! Kaden, no antagonizing you’re brother!” Jason snapped as he put the pan back on top of the stove and turned it on.

“But I told him he was too little--” Kaden started. Keiran stood up and glared at him.

“We’re the same, you dork!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“Enough!” Jason snapped, keeping his voice even. He didn’t like yelling at his boys, but something, they _really_ tried his patience sometimes. Both boys stopped arguing and bowed their heads.

“Sorry daddy,” they said in unison. Keiran turned toward the trash can and threw out the paper towels with the egg in it, then joined his brother up at the kitchen table.

“It’s fine. Just stop arguing, okay?” Jason asked, throwing several slices of bacon into the pan. While the cooked, he turned toward the coffee maker and set it up for a pot of coffee.

“Are you gonna drive us to school today?” Kade asked. The little boy hopped out of his seat and brought his bowl to the sink. Jason glanced down at him and took the bowl from him, putting it in the sink.

“Yeah, sure,” Jason replied, flashing a smile.

“Can we go on the bike?!” Keiran asked excitedly.

“Absolutely not,” Jason replied without pause. Keiran was referring to his motorcycle, but there was _no way_ he was letting his boys on that thing. They were much too young!

“aww but--”

“It’s not up for discussion, Keiran,” Jason interrupted, shooting a glare at the little boy. Keiran pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. Jason sighed and turned back to breakfast.

“Mmm, am I missing a party?” Dick asked, stifling a yawn as he shuffled out of the bedroom.

“G’morning Papa!” Kaden and Keiran called in unison. Dick smiled at the boys as he shuffled into the kitchen in naught but a pair of blue sweatpants. He let out a yawn and stretched his arms as he approached Jason from behind.

“Morning,” he whispered in the man’s ear as he wrapped his arms around him from behind. Jason flashed a smile at the man as he looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Morning, Dickie. Breakfast?” he asked in a hushed tone. Dick smiled against the back of Jason’s neck, planting a kiss there. He hummed softly as he rested his cheek against the back of his husband’s neck.

“Sounds good. And coffee?”

“Brewing.”

“I love you.”

“I know.” Jason paused in his cooking to turn in Dick’s arms and steal a kiss. The two of them glanced over their shoulder when the twins made mock disgusted sounds.

“Ew,” came Keiran’s voice.

“That’s gross!” Kaden commented. Dick looked at them and grinned.

“Oh yeah?” he asked, making clawed hands. The twins gave mock frightened shouts and jumped out of their chairs as Dick chased them around the house. “C’mere! I’ll show you gross!” Dick called out, chasing after the laughing twins. He grabbed Keiran in one arm and Kaden in the other, and started blowing raspberries on their cheeks. Jason watched the whole thing from the stove with a grin on his face, just shaking his head.

“Keiran, breakfast is ready, buddy,” Jason called, serving up two eggs, two slices of bacon, and two pieces of toast with a cup of orange juice. “Yours will be up in a second, Dickie,” Jason said, glancing up at the man. Dick waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine.  Focus on the kids first. What about Kaden? Has he--”

“I had cereal, Papa,” Kaden replied as he made his way toward his bedroom. 

“Yeah, as evidenced by the milk on the table I forgot to clean up,” Jason shot over his shoulder. Dick chuckled a bit and got to his feet, grabbing the paper towel off the counter.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” he replied, wiping up the milk. Jason served him his breakfast and coffee as soon as he sat back down, along with a kiss on his cheek. “Aw, thanks Jaybird,” Dick said cheerily, sipping his coffee.

“Finish your breakfast Keiran. We’ve gotta get ready to do in half an hour,” Jason commented, joining them at the table with his own breakfast. “Kaden!” Jason called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Coming daddy!” Kaden called bouncing back into the kitchen wearing a Nightwing T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and light up sneakers. “Here Keiran, I got the shirt you wanted,” Kaden said cheerily, handing Keiran a shirt.

“Thanks Kay,” Keiran replied, pulling off the blue t-shirt he was wearing on pulling on the new one; a black T-shirt with the Red Hood symbol on it. Jason glanced down at it and snorted.

“I can’t believe they make shirts for that guy.” Dick glanced over at Jason and shrugged “why not? They make merchandise for all of Batman’s rogues.”

“And people actually buy that crap?” Jason asked, arching an eyebrow.

“They do,” Dick replied with a chuckle of amusement.

“The Red Hood is a bad guy, but he’s also kinda cool. Plus this shirt looks cool too,” Keiran commented, finishing his breakfast. Jason shot a look over at Dick, who looked like he was trying really hard not to say ‘aww’.

It was also kind of sad in a way, since Jason  _ was _ the Red Hood. But Jason wasn’t a villain, exactly. He only played the part of one. But he taught his boys that the Red Hood was a bad guy, because he didn’t want them idolizing crime. He wanted them to grow up right.

With breakfast finished, Dick and Jason grabbed some clothes, then ushered the twins out of the apartment, and down the stairs, with their backpacks. The two of them loaded the twins into the car, and then off they went for school. They took the Jaguar, Bruce’s wedding gift to them.

“So boys, are you excited for your first day of Second Grade?” Dick asked with a smile as he turned in his seat to look at the twins. Jason smirked slightly and glanced back at them in the rearview mirror.

“Uh huh! IT’s gonna be fun! I can’t wait to see Michael and Melinda,” Kaden chortled. Keiran giggled beside him and playfully shoved his twin.

“Ha ha, you just have a crush on Michael!” Keiran teased. Kaden shoved his brother back.

“I do not! Besides, you like Melinda!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“Do not!”

“Do--”

“Boys, boys, simmer down,” Dick said with a laugh. Jason chuckled a bit, occasionally glancing at the boys in the back seat through the rearview mirror. Both of the twins seemed to actually enjoy school, something they probably picked up from him. Jason didn’t go to school much before Bruce adopted him. As a street kid, his main concern was surviving. But after Bruce took him in, he  _ loved _ going to school. He soaked up everything like a sponge. If not for his untimely death, he probably could have graduated High School with at least a 3.9 GPA.

“You boys ready? School’s just up ahead,” Jason said to the twins, as he pulled into the parking lot of Gotham Academy. Kaden and Keiran grabbed their backpacks and got ready to get out of the car as Jason parked. Their parents turned in the seats and watched as the twins hopped out of the car, then followed their lead.

“Alright, c’mere you guys! Give dad and papa big hugs!” Dick called, kneeling down and holding out his arms. Jason smiled and placed his hands on his hips, watching as the twins practically tackled Dick and hugged him together. Dick laughed and wrapped his arms around both little boys. “Big hugs! You guys have a good day at school, okay?” 

“Okay!” The twins said in unison. They turned to Jason then, who knelt down and tugged them each into a one armed hug.

“Behave yourselves, and pay attention in class!” Jason said to them, pressing a kiss to the top of each of their heads. The twins giggled and hugged their father tighter.

“We will dad!” Kaden called.

“See you later!” Keiran answered. The twins waved goodbye to their parents, then rushed ahead to join the other kids filtering into the building. Dick and Jason watched them go, while Dick rested his elbow on Jason’s shoulder and casually leaned against him.

“They’re growing up fast."

“Too fast,” Jason answered with a chuckle, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to Dick’s lips. Dick smiled into it, then parted from the man to get back in the car. Jason turned and grabbed the handle of the driver’s side door, but spotted something across the street. He frowned and stared for a few moments at a man in a long, black trench coat, with short black hair, standing at the crosswalk and just watching the children.

“Something wrong, Jay?” Dick asked. Jason watched him for a few moments longer, until the man turned and walked away. Something about him bugged him, but he didn’t know what

“Nah, nothing’s wrong babe,” Jason replied, hopping into the car. “Just feel like someone’s watching,” he murmured, pulling out of the parking lot.

* * *

**** Talia sat at a cafe table, outside in Venice, Italy. The sun was high in the sky, lending a warm light over the city below. She watched as a gondola drifted by, then sipped her cappuccino. She was waiting for someone, an informant who had ties to her League of Shadows. It was a splinter group formed by her father, but little did he know, they were all loyal  _ to her _ . It took many years to build up the substantial connections that her League had, but her information Network rivaled even her father’s.

It was quite useful, especially in keeping secrets from him. There was one in particular that she was concerned might be in jeopardy of being discovered by him. Thus, the need to meet with this informant. Talia glanced over toward another Gondola that stopped nearby. A man with olive skin and long dark hair, tied into a pony tail, approached her table. He was dressed in a pair of white, knee length shorts and a black t-shirt, and looked like an ordinary tourist.

“Is this seat taken?” he asked in a low tone. Talia glanced up at him and sipped her cappuccino patiently. “The sun is high, and the shadows obscure much, no?” he asked. A glint of recognition sparked in her eye, and so she gestured toward the seat across from her. The man sat down and folded his hands on the table.

“Tell me something, friend?” she started in an even tone “what has become of the boys?” The man was silent for a moment, just staring at her. Finally, after clearing his throat, he spoke.

“They are well. Growing fast, strong. They are happy. But this is not why you called me here, is it?” he asked. Talian closed her eyes for a moment and set her cup down.

“No. What of that man that I asked you to investigate? The man branded a traitor by my father. Where is he now?” The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a smartphone. He began typing into it and showed her a picture of a man, named only “Gabriel Zaman”.

“My spies put him in Gotham City,” the man replied. Talia’s eyes narrowed.

“As I feared.”

“Would you like us to deal with him, my lady?” he asked. Talia drained her cup, then waved a waitress over and paid her. She got to her feet and glared at the man.

“No. He will be dealt with. For now, wait. Watch. Observe. And keep me informed,” Talia replied. The man got to his feet and gave a bow.

“Very good my lady.”

“But should he lay so much as a hair upon those children,” she started, drawing his attention back to her “your orders are to end him. Violently. But not in front of the children. Understood?”

“Understood.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I believe the boys are in danger,” Talia said. Jason growled and moved toward her, but Dick jumped in front of him and held him back.  
> “Yeah, no shit. It starts with a T and it’s pretending to give a shit,” Jason snarked, rolling his eyes.

Jason was rather antsy over the next few days. He didn’t know what it was, but he couldn’t shake this feeling of being watched. He’d been trained by Batman, so paranoia was the norm, but his instincts were telling him, something was different. _Something was wrong._

But life continued on as normal. Their routine remained largely unchanged; the twins were still a handful, but they got them fed, dressed and out to school. The returned home on the school bus, did whatever homework they had, and then they were permitted to play.

But every time they drove the kids to school, Jason saw that same man standing on the sidewalk across the street, just staring...it set him on edge, every time. He looked suspicious, but he wasn’t _doing_ anything. Regardless, something about that guy rubbed him the wrong way. He’d tried tracking the guy down, but whoever he was, he was good at covering his tracks.

“Jay, you’ve been on edge for a few days. Is everything alright?” Dick finally asked one day at the kitchen table. Jason was eating his lunch, which was essentially chili dogs and curly fries. Some days, he just felt too lazy to cook and so he’d eat take out. Dick totally got that.

Jason glanced up at Dick out of the corner of his eye as he took a bite out of his chili dog. Dick waited patiently for Jason to answer him, and when the man finally finished chewing, he set his food down and looked over at Dick.

“Yeah. I’m worried about the kids,” Jason answered, rubbing the back of his neck. Dick sat down at the table beside him, and Jason slid his second chili dog over toward him. “Here, have one. I’m not all that hungry anyway.”

“Thanks Jaybird,” Dick replied, licking his lips as he grabbed up the chili dog and took a bite of it. “So, what’s bothering you?” Dick asked, swallowing down the first bite. Jason frowned a little and stared at the table for a few moments. That guy was the problem; hadn’t Dick noticed him?

Jason glanced up at Dick and asked him “haven’t you noticed that creeper in the trench coat in front of the school? The last few days, I’ve seen him just standing on the street corner, across the street, just...watching.” Dick swallowed his second bite and considered the question. He’d noticed him for sure, so was that what was bothering him?

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Dick murmured, stealing a sip of Jason’s soda.

“He looked suspicious, doesn't he?” Jason asked, stealing his soda back from Dick. Dick let out a small snicker of amusement and nodded.

“A bit, yeah,” he answered. Jason frowned at him, prompting Dick to arch an eyebrow.

“A bit? The guy’s a creeper, who--”

“Jason, you don’t know that. There are plenty of weirdos in Gotham City, dressed like creepers. Like The Creeper, for instance?” Dick asked with a chuckle of amusement. Jason frowned at him, but then gave a nod to concede his point.

“Alright, so you’ve got me there,” Jason answered, permitting himself a smirk. That faded quickly though. He could feel it in his bones that there was something wrong with this guy. He just didn’t know what. But he was going to find out.

“Listen, Dick, you didn’t grow up on the streets like I did” Jason started, sipping his soda. He glanced up at Dick who gave him his full attention, and continued “but please trust me when I say, there’s _something_ wrong with that guy. As a street rat--”

“ _Former_ street rat,” Dick felt the need to correct, smiling at the man. Jason shot him a look and Dick raised his hands defensively.

“As a street rat, I’ve always trusted my instincts. I saw a lot of guys like him down in The Bowery. He’s up to no good. I just _know_ it.”

“I believe you,” Dick replied, patting his husband’s shoulder soothingly. Jason heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t like this, didn’t like feeling like his kids were in someone’s cross hairs. He wasn’t sure what to do, either. This guy seemed hard to track down, and that was what concerned him the most about the guy. “So how do you want to handle it?” Dick asked, munching away on his chili dog again.

Jason thought about it for a few moments. The guy was hard to track, but perhaps he could tail him. As the Red Hood of course. The Red Hood would have ample reason to follow a suspicious new comer to Gotham City, especially one so shady. He’d need to come up with an excuse as to why Jason Todd-Grayson isn’t there with his husband to drop off his kids though. He could feign being sick, or perhaps work up some excuse about being needed at his garage.

“I’m going to tail the guy,” Jason finally said. He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone started ringing and interrupted him. Jason turned and dug through his pocket for his phone and answered it. It was Bruce.

“Jason. You’re going to want to come to the manor,” came Bruce’s voice over the phone. Jason frowned a bit and wondered what could possibly be so important. He shared a look with Dick.

“It’s Bruce. He’s saying we need to go the manor,” Jason explained. Dick quirked an eyebrow.

“What for?” Dick asked. Jason shrugged his shoulder and finished the rest of his fries before he got to his feet.

“Dunno. Guess there’s only one way to find out,” he answered, making his way into the living room. Dick finished his food and then followed after Jason, curiosity now piqued. They both grabbed their jackets and kicked on their shoes, then Jason grabbed his car keys off the wall and tossed them to Dick.

“How about you drive for once?” he asked, flashing a smile. Dick chuckled and snatched them out of the air, following Jason out of their apartment.

“Sure.”

The two men made their way to the car, and off they went to the manor. The kids would still be in school for another hour or so, so they didn’t need to worry about not being home when they got back.

So the two of them made the drive out of Gotham and into Crest Hill. Wayne Manor sat prominently amongst the rest of the homes in Crest Hill, and was practically a historical monument as well. While most of the homes looked relatively new or modern, a few stood out, like relics from the past, with Wayne Manor amongst their number.

They drove the car past the gate and up the long driveway to Wayne Manor, parking the car just outside the house. They exchanged a quick glance before hopping out of the car, then made their way to the door. Alfred answered it before they could even knock, or ring the doorbell.

“Master Dick, Master Jason, come in,” Alfred said, gesturing toward the inside of the house. Dick, of course, hugged the man before making his way inside with Jason behind him.

“Any idea what it was Bruce wanted us here for?” Dick asked, peeling off his coat and hanging it up. Jason did the same, then walked backwards to look at Alfred as the man followed them inside the house.

“Indeed, I may have an idea. If you would come with me, down to the cave,” Alfred answered, moving past them and toward the grandfather clock. Dick and Jason exchanged a quick look, then followed after him. They made their way past the entrance behind the grandfather clock, then down the stairs, into the cave.

“Must be important to ask us to show up in person. But what?” Dick asked. Jason shrugged his shoulders, looking over at Dick.

“Haven’t the foggiest,” he answered.

“Master Jason and Master Dick are here,” Alfred declared, making his way into the cave proper with the two younger men in tow. Dick and Jason both stopped dead in their tracks, with Jason clenching his fist and gritting his teeth.

“Jason. Dick,” Talia said evenly as she turned to face the two of them. Bruce pushed himself away from the computer and moved to stand beside her. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Before we get into it, Talia has something important to tell you,” Bruce said before any other words could be exchanged.

“I believe the boys are in danger,” Talia said. Jason growled and moved toward her, but Dick jumped in front of him and held him back.

“Yeah, no shit. It starts with a T and it’s pretending to give a shit,” Jason snarked, rolling his eyes. Dick gently nudged Jason in the side with his elbow. Jason just shot him a glare, then turned back toward Talia and crossed his arms over his chest. Talia seemed to ignore the comment, and went on as normal.

“A few weeks ago, my father discovered one of his assassins, or rather, mine, was taking contracts behind our backs and making money on the side. My father branded him a traitor and ordered his execution.”

“Let me guess, he didn’t want to die, so he escaped and came pleading to you?” Jason asked arching an eyebrow. Dick jabbed him again, at which point, Jason retaliated by bumping him with his hip. Dick glared at him and Jason just flashed a smirk.

“Yes. But he was no longer useful to me, or my League of Shadows. So I cast him out,” Talia replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and paced across the cave. “My father created the League of Shadows to act as a splinter group to the League of Assassins, and put me in charge. I have plans that differ from his own, and couldn’t accept him back. That would risk my father’s ire, and his suspicion.”

“So we’re cleaning up another mess, created by your fucked up family?” Jason snapped. He glared over at Dick before the other could do or say anything. “I’m still waiting for you to explain why _my_ kids, not yours, are in danger because of this,” Jason added, venom in his tone. Talia glared at him.

“They’re my children too-”

“The _hell_ they are! Where the hell have you been for the last seven years?!” Jason snarled, throwing his arm through the air angrily. He turned the Dick and grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the exit of the cave. “Let’s go Dick. This is _her_ fucking problem, not ours. We’ll protect the boys ourselves.”

“Jason, we should at least hear her out,” Dick argued.

“The assassin knows about the boys,” Talia called after him, prompting Jason to stop dead in his tracks. He turned and shot Talia a scathing glare. “His name is Gabriel Zaman. He hopes by kidnapping the boys, he can bring them to my father and use them as leverage to earn back his favor.”

“YOU PUT TARGETS ON MY KIDS’ HEADS?!” Jason shouted angrily, storming across the cave. Dick jumped in his way and tried to hold him back, but was only just able to. Jason was _really strong_ when he was pissed.

“Jason, calm down! Just--” Dick started, but Jason pushed him aside. He didn’t push hard, but it was enough to move him out of the way.

“No! I won’t calm down! There's a psychopath after my kids, and--” suddenly, it clicked. Jason’s eyes widened with horror; the man in the trench coat, standing on the street corner outside the school every day, for the last week. Was that him?!

“Oh my god,” Jason breathed, fingers raking through his hair as he stumbled backwards. He quickly turned to Dick and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “That freak in the trench coat! The kids! They’re in danger! We have to go _now!_ ” Jason shouted, making a mad dash for the stairs. Dick didn’t wait another second and followed after him. He glanced back over his shoulder.

“Get Tim! We need a perimeter or something! We can’t let him escape, in case he’s already got them!” Dick shouted. Bruce nodded and was at the computer in an instant. When he next turned around, Talia was gone.

* * *

The bus came to a stop in front of an apartment building and let the last of the kids off of the bus. That left only Keiran and Kaden, which was unusual, since they were never the last ones off of the bus.

“Where do you think we’re goin’? None of this looks familiar,” Kaden said to Keiran, looking out the window at building he didn’t recognized. Keiran moved across the aisle and looked out the other window. He didn’t recognize any of them either.

“I dunno Kaden. I don’t know this place,” Keiran replied, moving back across the aisle to sit next to his brother. “Bus driver, where are we?” Keiran asked. Silence. After a few more moments, the bus came to a stop outside of an old abandoned warehouse. The driver stood up and approached the twins with rags in his hands.

“We’re going on a little trip. It’s nap time,” the man said with a grin. The twins gasped in fear and attempted to flee out of the back door, but the man caught them, holding the rags drenched in chloroform over their mouths. With their smaller bodies, it didn’t take long before they passed out.

With that done, the man grabbed the kids up, a child underneath each arm, and got off of the bus. He brought them to an old car, a red 1985 Cadillac Eldorado. He set the children down on the ground to fetch rope from the trunk. He bound each child’s arm and legs then gagged them with some clothe and dumped them in the trunk.

Gabriel hopped into the driver’s seat, then pulled away from the warehouse. He grinned to himself as he drove down the street, through the Bowery, to his hideout.

“My redemption is on the horizon.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re too young to understand,” he started, slowly approaching them. He crouched down a short distance away and reached out toward them. The twins flinched away, but the man proceeded, unperturbed, and patted Keiran’s snow white hair “but you’re my ticket to redemption.”

Gabriel paced back and forth in the dumpster fire of an apartment he’d rented out to hide in, under the assumed name of “Arthur Stevens”. The apartment building itself was just barely passable by code, and so was the apartment. It had roaches running across the floor, rats in the walls, the walls were cracked and the roof leaked, it was far from ideal. But it was also well hidden. Nobody would think to look for him here.

But how long did he have to make his escape? For now, he was forced to bide his time. He had had hired someone to fly him out of the country on a private plane, but that person now had engine trouble and it would take a whole day to get the plane in working order. He couldn’t afford to risk sneaking past airport security with these kids. The probability of getting caught was much too high.

He had no choice but to lay low and bunker down in this shitty apartment for the night, until his means of transportation was up and running the next day. He hated kids. He could hear them fussing from the living room, having gagged them so they couldn’t talk or make a sound. They’d spent the better part of the last hour crying, complaining, and whining.

“Shut up,” Gabriel snarled at the twins as they got louder upon his entrance into the living room. The man shot the children a glare as he moved toward the window and peered through the shades. Once he got them out of the country and handed them over to Ra’s al Ghul, he would reveal Talia’s secret, and be granted clemency. He would be given a place with the League of Assassins. And then he’d share everything he knew about Talia’s operations. He could get his revenge and his redemption in one fell swoop. Talia had cast him aside like garbage, so he intended to pay the it back in kind.

The man glanced through the blinds nervously, knowing that The Batman, The Red Hood, Nightwing, and others, would surely be out looking for him. Paranoia had set in, but for good reason; he did not believe for one minute that he could take them all in combat. Even a one-on-one fight would be dangerous.

Of them all, only Batman had been trained by the League, as well as other masters of Martial Arts, and he’d shared that knowledge with _all_ of his proteges. Even as a League Assassin, he was no fool; he knew he’d be outmatched.

The man padded back across the living room and grabbed a knife and a rag off of the table and started idly cleaning it. He glanced over at the twins and flashed a smirk.

“You’re too young to understand,” he started, slowly approaching them. He crouched down a short distance away and reached out toward them. The twins flinched away, but the man proceeded, unperturbed, and patted Keiran’s snow white hair “but you’re my ticket to redemption.” His grin widened at them, then he got to his feet and moved back across the room, leaning against the wall opposite of the kids. He continued to clean his knife, glancing up at the children.

“I made a mistake and betrayed my master,” the man started, glancing up at the twins occasionally and ignoring their fussing “and so he rightly branded me a traitor. But now I have a chance to make it right.” The man’s eyes settled in the twins again and he stopped cleaning the dagger. He moved back across the living room and dropped it on the coffee table.

“Perhaps when you’re older, permitting the Demon allows you to live, you’ll come to understand one day.”

* * *

Batman and Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood were out on the streets looking for the man who took the kids. Dick and Jason raced to the school to find that the kids had already boarded the bus. After which time, they made their way to the apartment, only to find that they weren’t there.

Jason nearly had a meltdown and probably would have if Dick hadn’t been there to calm him down. Nonetheless, he was on the warpath; whoever took his kids, were going to die, slowly, painfully, brutally. Even as he called in favors, checked with contacts, and pulled his connections, he imagined all of the ways he was going to make the bastard pay. _They kidnapped his children!_ Retribution was going to be agonizing, and he was going to _enjoy_ every moment of it.

Dick on the other hand, found it difficult to concentrate. He kept thinking about how scared the kids must be. He wanted to find them, and hug them, and never let them go again. But he had to focus, had to keep his mind on the mission. The trouble was, Kaden and Keiran _weren’t_ just another mission. They were his sons.

“Talia, tell me you have something?” Batman asked over the comm channel, having added her, reluctantly, because she had connections in Gotham. He’d thought about taking them out before, but he was a bit glad he hadn’t. They’d prove useful now for finding the twins. He was currently driving the Batmobile through The Bowery; it seemed like the most logical choice. If one wanted to hide out, the Bowery was the best place to do it.

“Yes and you’re in the right place. My sources claim they spotted a school bus heading down into the Bowery, with only two children on it. One of them had white hair.”

“Keiran,” Batman replied, eyes narrowing. That snow white hair proved to be invaluable. On a child, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Keiran didn’t seem to like it, but maybe he’d learn to appreciate it one day. “Hood, Nightwing, did you get that?” Batman asked.

“Yeah, I heard you. My contacts reported the same thing,” Hood replied.

“Hood,” Batman started.

“Shut the fuck up. He took my kids, I’m going to paint the fucking wall with his blood.”

“Hood,” came Nightwing’s voice softly over the comm link. “Think about the boys. Do you really want to kill that man, right in front of them?” Nightwing asked him. There was a silence, followed by a growl of annoyance from Hood.

“Fine. I won’t kill him,” Hood replied, begrudgingly. “I’ll wait until the boys are out of sight, and make him _wish_ he was dead.”

“Hood--”

“Can we just focus on saving the kids, please?,” Nightwing interrupted. Batman and Red Hood both grunted in response to Nightwing’s reply. They both knew he was right; right now, finding the boys was more important than arguing over methods.

“I found the bus,” Talia reported over the comm link.

“Where?” Jason asked immediately.

“Park Row,” Talia replied immediately. Jason knew that place immediately; Park Row, a.k.a Crime Alley. That was done purposely, likely to throw them off. Or maybe not. It was hard to tell; only Talia knew this guy, apparently.

“Fan out and scan the area. He’s likely hiding somewhere nearby,” Batman called over the comm as he turned the Batmobile and headed for Park Row.

All five of them met up with Talia at Park Row, beside the abandoned school bus. They boarded it, and began looking for evidence, clues, anything they could find to hopefully point them in the right direction.

“Talia, Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, you continue scouring the area. Robin and I will continue searching for clues,” Batman ordered. Hood grunted in response and wasted not a single second before jumping onto his motorcycle and taking off. Talia was gone before he had even given the order, and Nightwing and Red Robin both gave a nod in the affirmative before they left to begin their own search.

* * *

Gabriel cursed at the man on the other end of the phone as he peaked out the blinds to see Red Hood race by on his motorcycle. They were getting too close for comfort and he needed to escape with these children quickly.

“I don’t care what it takes, just get that damn boat ready!” he snapped angrily. “I paid you more than you’re worth. Have the boat ready, or I’ll mount your head on my wall!” He hung up the phone, then glared at the twins who were still squirming and crying, despite being bound and gagged. Keiran managed to spit out the cloth in his mouth.

“When my daddy finds out, he’s going to beat you up!” Keiran shouted at the man despite the tears in his eyes. Gabriel glared at him, then stormed across the room and stuffed the cloth back in his mouth.

“Silence! Your daddy will never find you!” Gabriel growled. He moved back to the window and glanced out of it to see the Red Hood approaching the building. He cursed loudly, then grabbed a duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Time to go,” he said, glaring at the twins.

He grabbed a bottle and a cloth out of the duffel bag. He removed the gags from each of their mouths and they attempted to scream, but he covered their mouths with chloroform rags and knocked them out cold. He couldn’t stay here any more, not if he wanted to get the children to his master.

Gabriel grabbed the twins up underneath each arm and began climbing out the window, when the Red Hood spotted him after kicking down the door.

“Hey!” he shouted. Gabriel shot a sneer back at him before making his escape through the fire escape. “I found him! He’s escaping through the fire escape!” Hood shouted over the comm, sending his coordinates to them as he drew his guns and following the man out the window. “Put the kids down dirtbag, or I’ll put you down!” he shouted. Gabriel turn and ran backwards, holding the twins in front of himself.

“Stop following me, of I’ll break both their necks!” Gabriel threatened. Hood paused dead in his tracks and lowered his guns. He could make the shot, he knew he could, but he didn’t _dare_ jeopardize his kids’ lives.

“Fuck!” he cursed as Gabriel shot him a smug grin and turned down a corner. Red Hood cursed into his comm “hurry the hell up, he’s getting away!” He chased after the man in time to see him throw the kids in a car and take off. He managed to snag a picture of the license plate and send it to everyone.

“Calm down, Hood, we’ll stop him!” Batman said to him, gunning the engine. “Nightwing, Red Robin, Talia--”

“On my way!” Nightwing replied, racing off down the street on his Nightcycle.

“Already on it!” Red Robin answered. Talia was silent, which was rarely a good sign. Still, the priority was the twins.

Red Hood followed behind the man on his motorcycle, but he already had a huge lead on him. He gritted his teeth and made a tight turn, nearly getting his by a car and not caring, but the man was already turning down another corner.

“I’m losing him! Where the hell are you guys?!” Hood shouted angrily, more scared for his kids than angry. He saw the Batmobile and the Nightcycle peel around the corner, followed moments later by Red Robin, hot on both their heels on his own motorcycle.

“He’s headed for the docks, looks like!” Nightwing shouted. The pulled up on the docks to see Gabriel running toward a boat with the twins. He was boarding it when they gave chase.

“Hey asshole!” Hood shouted, kicking up his speed a notch. But the boat was already leaving the docks, and internally, Jason was panicking as he watched it leave. Nightwing and Red Robin stopped beside him, but they all heard the familiar roar of the Batwing above; it could be silent if Batman wanted it to be, but quite obviously, he wanted this guy to be frightened.

“You have the Batman on your tail?! This wasn’t part of the deal!” the ship’s captain shouted at Gabriel.

“Shut up and go!” Gabriel threatened, pointing a gun at his head. Gabriel looked over his shoulder, then grunted when something hit the boat. He ran out to the back as the boat started to slow, to see an EMP hook lodged into the side of the boat.

“Screw this, I’m out of here!” Gabriel turned to see the captain jumping ship. He growled as he looked up to see Batman coming down from the jet above, as the Batwing towed the boat back to the docks.

Gabriel glanced back at the children, then at Batman, before diving off of the boat. Batman growled as he landed on the deck and watched the man swim away. He was torn between pursuing him, and rescuing the twins, but ultimately, he decided the kids were more important.

_Meanwhile, back on the docks…_

“Jason,” Dick whispered to the man, patting his shoulder. “We should get home and change back into our civilian clothes. For when Batman brings the boys home.” Jason clenched his fists, anxious to see his boys safe and sound, but Dick was right.

“Alright,” he replied, turning away from the docks. He paused and looked around for a moment. “Hey, where’s Talia?"

* * *

Gabriel coughed as he pulled himself out of the water and onto dry land. He groaned as he pushed himself up onto his feet, eyes narrowing as they fell upon--

“Talia,” he said, practically spitting the name onto the ground. The black clad woman stood before him with her sword drawn and one hand on her hip, with a neutral expression on her face.

“Slug,” Talia replied in a derisive tone. Gabriel’s lip curled into a snarl; he drew his blade, but Talia struck before he had the chance to swing it. In a quick, fluid motion, she slashed his throat. Gabriel gasped, blade clattering to the ground as he clutched as he throat, blood pouring over his hands. “Your punishment for this treason, is slow death,” Talia said haughtily, standing above him and watching him die slowly. As the light drained from his eyes, she stared blankly down at him for a few moments longer, before turning on her heel and leaving him to his fate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins seemed to be alright after Batman brought them home. They were a little shaken up as they hugged both their parents, but their fear was soon forgotten, as they excitedly talked about how Batman had saved them.

The twins seemed to be alright after Batman brought them home. They were a little shaken up as they hugged both their parents, but their fear was soon forgotten, as they excitedly talked about how Batman had saved them. Jason and Dick were just happy to have them home, though Jason was annoyed that Talia had disappeared without a trace.

The twins’ mother had once again taken off, without even bothering to check on her children to see if they were okay. Jason was silently furious about that; she was _their mother_ and she couldn’t have even been bothered to check on her own children?! It honestly didn’t surprise him, but it still pissed him off. She professed to care, and yet she’d never even _met_ them. While it didn’t surprise him, it _did_ piss him off.

But the man who kidnapped his children had _also_ disappeared. They searched for him, high and low, across the entire state, but couldn’t find a trace of him anywhere. It was as if he *too* had just up and disappeared. Well, Jason swore that if he ever saw the scum bag again, he’d kill him. Then he’d toss him in the Lazarus Pit and kill him again. Regardless of what either Dick or Bruce said though, Jason had _fully_ intended to kill him if he ever showed his face again.

But the next few weeks proved to be difficult, not just for Dick and Jason who were nervous about letting the boys out of sight (Jason especially), but for the twins. The boys found it difficult to sleep by themselves, and so they often crowded into their parents’ bed with them. The night was filled with scary sounds and figures for them, and both Dick and Jason felt for them. But what could be done?

“I think we should get a dog,” Dick commented one day, while he lay across Jason’s lap, watching Netflix. Jason sat on the couch reading with Dick lay across his lap. At the comment, he looked over the top of the book at the man below, arching an eyebrow.

“A dog?”

“Yeah, why not?” Dick asked, glancing up at him. Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

“Dick, we can’t get a dog _just_ to cheer up the kids. Dogs require a lot of training and responsibility,” Jason started. But Dick silenced him, when he leaned up to steal a kiss.

“I’m aware. But I’ve been thinking about this since before the boys were kidnapped,” he started, and pushed himself up into a sitting position, beside Jason. “I think it’d be good for the boys to have a dog. It’d help teach them responsibility,” Dick finished. Jason was silent for a time as he considered what Dick said.

“I don’t know. They’re only seven years old--”

“Jason, there are children half their age who have dogs--”

“And their parents take care of them--”

“C’mon Jason, what if _I_ want a dog,” Dick replied, as he climbed into Jason’s lap. He flashed his famous puppy eyes and asked “are you going to tell me no? That _I_ can’t have a dog?” Jason glared up at Dick, the look wavering at Dick’s puppy-eyed face.

“Ugh, you’re a cheat,” Jason replied with a sigh. Dick grinned and made a pleased sound, before leaning down and stealing a kiss.

“That a yes?” he asked.

“That’s an ‘I’ll think about it’,” Jason replied. Dick nodded and gave a shrug of his shoulders, then climbed out of Jason’s lap, stretching back out on the couch again.

“Good.”

Jason walked down the sidewalk through the busy streets of Gotham, dressed in a pair of jeans, boots, and a red t-shirt. He had his hands jammed into his pockets, eyes scanning the area, almost hoping to see that scumbag, Gabriel. He’d’ve liked to take a swing at the bastard.

But his destination, was the local pet shop. He could’ve driven there, but it was a nice, comfortable day; a sunny day at a comfortable 70 degrees, with a light breeze to keep things nice. A walk seemed a nicer idea.

As he came upon the pet shop, his eyes drifted toward the large store window out front. There were three different animal pens in the front window; the first was a pen for cats and kittens, the second was for rabbits, and the third was for dogs. Jason stopped in front of the dogs’ pen, recognizing them as Basenjis. There was a single mother in that pen with eight little puppies. They were currently feeding, so Jason decided to move on. That was until some movement caught his eye. He glanced back at the puppies to see one of them, a tiny little white and brown puppy, its fur tinged with black stripes, had pranced over toward the window, its little tail wagging excitedly. Curious, Jason crouched down in front of it.

“Well hey there,” he murmured to the little puppy. The puppy gave a little ‘yodel’, as its tiny tail wagged faster, then pranced around in front of the window. Jason chuckled to himself, then place his hand on the glass. The little pup pawed at it, and gave another little howl.

“Do you see one you like?” asked the shop owner. Jason looked up to see a young brunette woman standing beside him with a smile on her face. Jason glanced back at the little pup, lips curving into a smile.

“I kinda like this little guy right here,” Jason commented, chuckling a little when the little puppy spun in a circle. The girl laughed and nodded.

“Ah yeah, that one is full of energy. I’m afraid he’s only four weeks old though,” she said to him. Jason glanced up at her and she added “the father was adopted six weeks ago. Somehow the parents got out of their cages, and well…” Jason laughed at that, and turned his attention back to the puppy.

“Can you hold onto him for me?” he asked.

“Of course!”

* * *

Over the next four weeks, Jason returned to the pet shop a few different times to visit the little pup, curious to see if he’d get the same reaction. Every time he showed up, that same little pup enthusiastically greeted him in front of the window. Dick pestered him about getting a dog several times over the course of that time, but Jason never mentioned the little pup he’d already picked out. He thought it’d make a nice surprise when he brought him home.

Jason had gone out early one morning to pick up their new puppy.

“Thanks! You have a good day!” Jason called back as he exited the store with a bag of puppy supplies in one hand, and the little pup tucked in his other. He tucked everything in the car with the new puppy in his kennel in the back seat, then texted Dick to meet him out front.

When he arrived back at the apartment, Dick was waiting for him, dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt.

“Jason, what’s up?” he asked, one hand on his hip and the other in his jeans pocket. Jason hopped out of the car with a smug grin on his face, and then waved Dick over. Dick made his way over to the car and his face lit up when he saw the kennel and the bag of dog food.

“I’ve had my eye on this little guy for the last four weeks. He’s 8 weeks today,” Jason explained. “Help me sneak this stuff up to the apartment, yeah? The twins--”

“In their room watching Disney movies,” Dick interrupted as he grabbed up the bags of dog supplies. Jason gingerly reached into the kennel and grabbed the puppy, and followed Dick up the stairs. When the reached the apartment, Dick tucked the supplies away in the kitchen closet, then called for the twins.

“Boys! Daddy has a surprise for you!” Dick called. He and Jason exchanged a glance and a grin, while Jason held the squirming puppy behind his back. The twins came running out of their room, giggling at each other as they tried to be first.

“What is it daddy?” Keiran asked. Kaden bounced up and down and asked “what’s the surprise?!” Jason grinned from ear to ear, then set the puppy down on the floor in front of the twins.

“PUPPY!!!” the twins shouted excitedly, the two of them dropping to the floor to play with the new pup. The two of them laughed as the little basenji puppy’s tail wagged, running back and forth between the two of them. Jason and Dick laughed when Kaden covered his head, as the pup started climbing on him and attempted to lick at his face.

“So what’re we gonna name him?” Jason asked, glancing over at Dick. Dick glanced down at the twins, who were too busy playing with the new puppy to hear them.

“Hey, what do you guys think of calling him “Benji”?” Dick asked.

“Benji, the Basenji?” Jason asked with a smirk, arching his eyebrow.

“Yeah!” the twins called. Jason snorted with held back laughter.

“Benji it is.”


End file.
